William Saliba Delivers Savage Dig at Tottenham Star Following Brutal North London Derby Demolition
They claim an image speaks volumes. The two photographs that William Saliba selected to frame his recent social media update conveyed the entire narrative of his north London clash.
To mark Arsenal's commanding 4–1 triumph against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday night, Saliba picked five snapshots of himself from the encounter. It was significant that the opening and closing images showed the robust Frenchman grappling with Spurs forward Richarlison on the ground.
This ongoing duel characterized a dominant showing from Saliba. The performance consisted of numerous tussles, filled with nudges and prods, jersey tugging and subtle elbow jabs. Richarlison would exit the derby with a remarkable strike, launching a stunning long-range effort past David Raya from 40 yards while Spurs were down by three goals, but it was Saliba who claimed the upper hand.
Physical confrontation isn't typically Saliba's approach—that belongs to Gabriel's domain. Arsenal's imposing Brazilian serves as the aggressive enforcer while his defensive partner cleans up behind him. However, with the sidelined Gabriel observing from the bench as Piero Hincapié made his north London derby debut, Saliba took on the role of Arsenal's primary intimidator.
Despite his magnificent goal, Richarlison and Tottenham's attacking unit were neutralized throughout most of a thoroughly lopsided derby. Arsenal restricted Spurs to merely three attempts, none within the box, and an expected goals figure of 0.07, the smallest recorded by any side across all 119 Premier League matches this campaign. Declan Rice summed up the sentiment with his response under Saliba's post: "Locked up."
No surprise that Mikel Arteta "savored every second of it."
Challenging Times Ahead for Saliba
Sunday's derby marked merely the opening chapter in a crucial run of matches for the Gunners this week. Given Tottenham's lackluster showing, it might prove to be the easiest challenge.
Saliba will certainly face a more demanding task containing Harry Kane when Bayern Munich visit the Emirates on Wednesday evening. Unlike the physically aggressive Richarlison, Kane's approach is filled with finesse.
Bayern's prolific striker spends considerable time in creative roles, hovering effortlessly across the pitch while seeking possession. Saliba has previously encountered Kane at the Emirates twice, with the England skipper scoring on both visits.
Chelsea's constantly evolving array of attacking talents will also challenge Arsenal's Gabriel-depleted defense next weekend. Enzo Maresca started the Burnley match with the partnership of Liam Delap and João Pedro, while Marc Guiu made a strong case for inclusion with a substitute goal.
Gabriel is certain to miss this stretch of fixtures and might remain unavailable until 2026. Saliba has every reason to celebrate his containment of Richarlison, but the real challenges lie ahead.